Labour plans to ban smoking in cars carrying children

Shadow health secretary Andy Burnham is due to put an amendment of the Children's and Families Bill forward in the House of Lords on Wednesday that could ban drivers from smoking in cars with children inside.

Burnham told The Sunday Times: "Adults are free to make their own choices but that often does not apply to children and that's why society has an obligation to protect them from preventable harm.

"There is legislation banning the use of mobile phones when driving and requiring the wearing of seatbelts."

Scientific research has shown that smoking in a confined space, such as a car, increases toxic fume inhalation by passengers by up to 11 times compared to customers in a smoke-filled pub.

The move by Labour is in stark contrast to governments - both past and present - that have generally shied away from banning smoking in 'private places'.

According to The Daily Mail, a YouGov poll in 2011 found that 78% of adults agreed that smoking should be banned in cars carrying children under 18, while 44% said smoking should be banned in all cars.

If Labour succeeds with the amendment, it would make it an offence for motorists to smoke in a car that is transporting children under 18-years-old and offenders could face fines and points on the licence.

Civil liberty groups that still resent Labour for banning smoking in public places, such as pubs and restaurants, will likely fiercely oppose the ban.

If attempts to change the law fail, Labour will pledge to impose a ban if it wins next year's general election.

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68 Comments

Why dont we ban kids in cars? how many times are drivers seen turning around to shout at the kids or checking to see if the kids are ok, how many times do the drivers open the off side door onto on coming traffic when taking their kids out of the car.

Should be banned full stop. Drivers fumbling about with lighters etc not paying attention and coughing all over. Filthy habit anyway makes them smell causes car to become discoloured etc. (and also smell)

Forget the health dangers.Smoking in CARS is as dangerous as Using a mobile.Eating.Drinking (albeit Coffee or lemonade).Changing radio stations or CD's.For these other offences you can be fined and given points.Just how is it/can it be safe to Get a fag out of its packet.Move it to your lips.Light the fag (either with a gas lighter, a car lighter or a match)Smoke whilst driving pressumably taking the fag into your mouth(lips) and out again to get rid of the ash, or simply exhale the smoke.Dispose of the fag when finished, stubbing it out in your ash tray, or chuck it out the window.HOW can this process be SAFE?You are distracted and inhaling a drug when drving, simply nuts.You then SMELL, your car smells, the other passengers smell and inhale potentially lethal noxious fumes.Dont think about banning it...DO IT and save countless lives, not least those of drivers, their passengers and maybe even OTHER road users who end up in an accident due to the inattention of the Smoking Driver.

smoking in cars should be banned for all and the punishment should be the same as drink driving .People have been prosecuted for eating whilst driving , smoking is far worse , Consider the lack of concentration when lighting up . Driving ban when caught !!!

considering the smoking ban is just a money making scam,and was the 9th/13th cause of cancer in the world(changed to number1 in a week)..and the number1 cause of cancer has vanished in the public eye(also taking into account 2nd-8th causes b4 that of smoking)..and the gov.is considering reversing the smoking ban in certain areas(to allow for weed shops??)this topic is more of a continuing money making scam than a concern for public health...banning smoking in cars is NOT going to stop cancer,OR protect your children either..as the 'previous' number 1 cause of cancer is still been pumped into your vehicle,from the car in front of you(same as you walk town a busy street with your kids,breathing it in)...and b4 you ask..they changed the law at the same time as the smoking ban so we can't sue the gov.over the true cause(which has been studied for over 80 years)..lung disease is mainly caused by the previous number 1,as it is 'large particles'(which blocks the lungs,eg. emphysema )..smoking is micro-particles...so less chance of things like this occurring.the main cause is DIESEL SOOT,always has been,and you also have to take into account petrol fumes..so basically you get poisoned walking down the street.hasn't any1 noticed..despite the 'no smoking ban' cancer has increased rapidily??...no smoking in public..you would have thought cancer would have dropped..no,never has....ask the nhs?no answer,they blame lifestyles instead....so remb..its the vehicle in front killing your family,not the smoker..your in your own personal 'gas chamber'.....to help..in traffic 'open your window'the pressure difference while driving 'sucks out' the fumes,lessens the effects...all the info is on the interweb..look it up....theres even scientific evidence that smoking protects your lungs from diesel soot,as it oxidizes the harmful chemicals(strange that on fag packets,no oxidizes are present..yet you burn it?? hmmm...anyows its ppl's personal choice what to do or believe..but looking things up to see yet again we are been conned n lied to is always handy.smoking with kids around never good...but when the system ignores the main cause for profit..it's sick